Search This Blog

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

First Look: Hot Wheels Kmart Mail-in '69 Chevy Chevelle SS 396...

Something is wrong with this model.

It is not the choice of casting. The '69 Chevelle SS is a great choice. It seems there is a small contingent of models that are used for premium mail-in models. Chevy Panels, Blown Deliveries, etc etc. Those are great models, but it is nice to see a mainline type model get the treatment. We hope this means we will see more. Maybe even some Euro or Japanese cars.

It is not the choice of wheels. These are great wheels. GREAT wheels. The watanabe-looking rims don't just look good on JDM models. They look good on pretty much any classic model. Plus we would not be surprised if a few folks just got this model to use the wheels on a custom.

It is not the deco. The burnt orange and flames really works, especially with the black trim. We have seen the Walmart 69 Camaro with the deco over Zamac, which works, and we assume the other three mail-ins will as well. We are in on this year's set.

So what is wrong?

The base. It's plastic, and that presents a problem.

Look, we normally don't care one way or the other if a base is plastic or metal. Metal bases are great, but we don't get too caught up in that. How the model looks is far more important. And that goes for premium models as well.

BUT, we have a problem if what is promised about the model is not what happens. While whether a base is metal or not would not convince us to buy a model, it does convince a lot of collectors. So if Mattel said the base would be metal, and it shows up plastic, that is a problem.

So will Mattel do something about it? Probably not, and we don't know what they could do. Surely something has been mentioned in the El Sug office, and things will probably be a bit tighter the next time around.

So, does this bother you? Do you want Mattel to do something about it? Mistakes happen, but we are sure many would like Mattel to at least acknowledge it. Maybe they will, maybe they can't.

The preview 'hero' card type thing they handed out at Kmart said the base would be plastic...? Or was it promised to be all metal earlier on?

I ordered one and I am certainly disappointed that it's not all metal, is it the end of the world? No. But it is the difference between me buying 20 cars for 1 mail-in during the promo period and buying 40+ during the promo period to get more than 1 car.

MORE IMPORTANTLY... does this card say what the other 3 mail-in models for 2014 are going to be on the card back? I am very eager to know.

This is the proverbial hand in the cookie jar and Matty is waiting to see if he is smacked. They take advantage a little bit here and a small amount there until we have plastic with plastic on plastic....

This "free" vehicle is a good test to see if they can finish the line with plastic and come in under budget, and why, to pay for this or that "necessary expense" with minimal impact on the bottom line.

Money saved does not go entirely to creating cars that last but to those that will have to be replaced in a few years. This has been increasing in the past years and it's amazing to find a $1 car that is all metal and is larger than a go-cart.

Pretty soon I will be able to print my own cars in any plastic variation I desire, and I will have to given the inferior compo

Pretty soon I will be able to print any plastic car I desire, and I will have to given the inferiority of the material used. -with products like the car creator I have to wonder when that metal 3D printer is going to drop below a grand....

Metal on metal is what was originally intended; plastic is for kids and is useful for glow in the dark and X-Ray cars.

When I can freely pay with any national denomination that I choose, Mattel can shovel all the plastic they want without complain.